Prologue

Little Prince Dracon sits at his bedroom window waiting for his father to appear. This morning, he found crushed mint leaves in a leather pouch sitting upon the window sill. Last time that occurred was when his father appeared after Dracon awoke from a dream. His father had to be coming. The moon rose high and his father did not come. Rain clouds fly across the sky blocking a considerable amount of moonlight. A cool breeze blows in the room and Dracon soon feels a prick upon his cheek, arousing the boy with his head leaning against the window. Strong arms lift the sleepy prince into bed. Stirred, Dracon opens his eyes.
“I waited for you,” yawns Dracon.
“I know,” answers a voice in the darkness.
“May I light a candle?” asks Dracon.
“No, Dracon. No one must see us together. You are in danger here. Your mother has sent spies to find me. Listen to me, Dracon. Her vengeance drips with anguish and intends to harm you on your way to the capital to make me come out of hiding to protect you. You must leave in the morning. Take comrades with you and seek out The Prophetess of Nix inside The Haunted Forest. Tell them you wish to know your future in the capital. The Prophetess will protect you from your mother’s spies.” warns his father before disappearing like a phantom in the night air.
“Yes, father.” whispers Dracon as he falls back asleep.
The rooster crows and Dracon is awakened by his distant cousin who has been his guardian since he was a wee babe. Dyna is joyous with a message from Dracon’s mother declaring she is remarrying and wishes Dracon to attend the ceremony. Little prince Dracon tells Dyna of his father’s visit and her smile transforms into a frown. Dyna assures the lad that she will secure a proper bodyguard to take him to the capital, a grand escort would attract too much attention. She will have to rewrite her reply to the queen. Dracon eats his morning meal with his cousin and the High Priest in the tiny kitchen. The High Priestess Dyna and the High Priest of the village live modestly, in a small temple. They are supported by the village and the lord of the land. After his appetite is filled, he attends his morning classes with the High Priest and a few lads from the village. Dyna visits a local weaver to deliver her reply when he travels to the capital. The weaver has met the queen fitting her for robes to sell his fine fabric. The weaver’s son Homer attends classes with Prince Dracon. Homer has never seen the capital, but has heard so many stories that he does not need to. Prince Dracon knows very little about his parents or the capital he will someday command. His guardian reluctantly tells him anything about his parents’ feud with each other. The High Priest raises Dracon’s pouch of mint leaves and tells them of their pain relieving effects on humans and elves. He always speaks of elves alongside of humans because Homer is part elf. On the other side of the river cutting the village in two, live the elves. Many think these human-like beings possess magical powers and highly respect them. During the lessons, Dracon asks Homer and another of his classmates to go along his journey to The Prophetess of Nix inside The Haunted Forest. The boys are eager to visit the infamous fortune teller. Her oracles are never wrong. The boys are also eager to meet the strange creatures inhabiting The Haunted Forest. Mermaids, fairies, centaurs, unicorns, sprites, and ghosts all inhabit the eerie forest. Travelers passing through the forest bring captivating tales of the mysterious creatures.
After the first lesson, Homer runs home to ask permission to seek The Prophetess with Dracon. His mother packs a knapsack of food, water bottle, flint stones, and a knife for her adventurous son. Homer waves to his jealous elder siblings with elation as he returns to the temple. The other boy invited to come on the trek is a peasant boy Dracon met while passing out alms to the poor. Alaric ran away from his peasant village after his father’s death to seek his fortune. He often entices Dracon with stories of meeting the queen as she visited her brother, The Lord of the Land Alaric’s family paid tribute to. Dracon was enamored and displeased to hear about his mother’s bitter and haughty behavior. He was not surprised at all that his father hides from her. Alaric now sweeps the floor of an inn for an innkeeper who took pity on the beggar and treats him like his son, even if he is too poor to burden the boy with treasures. The innkeeper blessed Alaric on his journey and gave him a bow with quiver full of arrows. Alaric came back in time to hear the morning prayers blessing Dracon’s trip to The Prophetess. Dracon always thought Alaric was a strange name for a human. Many elf boys are named Alaric after the great hero from The Elf War. It is sung, Alaric once charmed an empress into marriage and was appointed to be the Grand Prince’s tutor. Renamed Prince Hadrian, he found many enemies as the Grand Prince grew up to be a powerful and respected emperor. It is rumored that Hadrian the Great quarreled with the next emperor over a dire prediction and was banished. The hero’s name is forbidden to say, he is simply called The Hermit. This emperor died shortly after he enacted the law. His wife is believed to have killed him to obtain power and beheaded her lover for murdering her husband. The empress and her new lover were later overthrown by another pupil of Hadrian the Great. Now, The Hermit makes his home in The Haunted Forest guarding The Prophetess of Nix. Making this connection, Dracon wonders if it is The Prophetess his father thinks will protect him from his mother, or it is really The Hermit.
“Your father will be watching you inside your shadows,” comforts Dyna grasping Dracon’s shoulder disturbing his thoughts.
The boys leave with excitement of traveling by themselves for the first time. They follow a tributary creek leading to the great river with two names that runs into the sea along the edge of The Haunted Forest. The river with two names is called the River Nix by the elves of Etonville and the Aurora River by the humans. It was first named after the mermaid Queen Aurora who banished the griffins who feasted upon river mermaids long ago. Then it was renamed by the elves after the heroine Nix who tried to warn Etonville of an approaching army, but was killed at the river. Either way the river with two names flows through the vast Olin Mountains separating three kingdoms. The smell of the sea hit them as they crossed the werewolf grasslands full of harvested wheat. Despite what humans in their village say, the werewolves were friendly to the humans and allowed them use of their wells to rest at. Dracon never walked so far in his short life. Along the creek, Homer strikes a flint stone against his knife to create a campfire. They lack fear of a werewolf attack since the full moon had already passed. They soon meet centaurs that are half human and half horse gathering at a river bend. Centaurs are avid hunters who are very territorial from being masters of metals. The boys inform the wary creatures of their adventure watching them relax at hearing The Hermit’s name. Alaric shoots their dinner of roasted rabbit. After observing the bow, a centaur makes a face of disappointment in the quality of Alaric’s weapon. After a night’s sleep, the boys trek on reaching meadows of shepherds with the tip tops of The Haunted Forest and Olin Mountains in view. Dracon begins to notice a large golden eagle soaring in circles above their heads as they draw closer to The Haunted Forest. Ignoring the bird, Homer rests his blistered feet in the creek and discovers a mermaid. She is quite alarmed at the growing number of eagles following them and her otter dives in fear to the creek bottom. Approaching the forest, the eagles begin diving and scratching their heads. The boys fight them off as they run for the forest trees. Alaric firing all his arrows, trips on a rock and two eagles land on him. Pecking and scratching his clothes off, the eagles whistle through their beaks. More birds descend in swoops. Suddenly, a bright light flashes from the shade trees and the eagles explode into feathers. Looking for their benefactor, the boys find beautiful women with golden hair and white robes riding unicorns out of the forest shadows.
“Queen Lilith of the Narva Mermaids welcomes you to the Haunted Forest! We have been expecting you!” shouts one of the women.
“Thank you,” whispers Alaric getting off the ground.
The boys look at each other in confusion.
“You know King Jason, Majesties?” asks Homer.
The unicorns surround the boys.
“Never speak his name outside the forest. It is not safe. Come with us.” says a mermaid leaning forward on her unicorn.
The boys are lifted and carried into the confines of the forest. As they ride, a mermaid with a golden crown encrusted with sapphires and holding a golden harpoon speaks.
“Yes we know King Jason, Homer. He is safe here because the inhabitants devote their allegiance to The Wizard. His magic protects us all.”
“The Wizard?” asks Dracon.
“He has many names; Son of the Dragon, The Hermit, Prince Hadrian, Alaric the Great. He is a great and powerful wizard who is not to be trifled with.” declares Queen Lilith.
The unicorns stop at the sound of rushing water.
“This is as far as we take you. The Wizard is down the path by Aurora Falls.” says Queen Lilith.
“Farewell Majesties,” say the boys as they wave to the mermaids.
The mermaids nod their heads and ride off. With dusk falling and ghosts appearing, the boys hurry down the path. They find The Hermit drawing water from the river near a waterfall. Reaching a footbridge, they wave mist away to meet a tall creature with a stag’s head in a man’s body.
“You seek The Prophetess of Nix, do you not? I am Eurick.” speaks the creature.
A wolf rushes to investigate the visitors sniffing impatiently at their boots.
“Calm yourself, Greken. We have guests.” greets the old elf lugging his pail of water.
He pours the bucket into a cauldron hanging over a fire and dishes out a vegetable soup for all.
“Your wolf is staring at me,” declares Dracon holding his stew.
“He is just glad to meet you. Your father has told us much about you.” explains The Hermit. “Greken, the trunk for our guests!”
Greken pulls out a trunk with his teeth from the bushes concealing a door nailed to a tree. The Hermit grabs three robes for the boys. Greken positions itself next to Dracon. Once the water boils, Eurick and The Hermit wash their wounds before rubbing on a minty salve. The sun set, stars and a bright half moon greet the world. Crickets chirp and owls hoot in dark forest. Their scratches dressed, The Hermit lights a pipe and blows smoke circles.
“My Lovely always adored the odor of pipe grass. I never really cared for it.” breaking the silence of the guests around the campfire.
“Queen Lilith said you are a powerful wizard not to be trifled with.” declares Dracon.
“Did she now?” answers The Hermit.
“If you are so great as your legends and beloved by all, then why are you sitting idly here guarding a fortune teller in a desolate place while my father’s kingdom fell apart? A legendary hero does not wait idly to fade from memory.” observes Dracon.
“And what would you have me do as a legendary hero?” asks The Hermit.
“Help father destroy his enemies,” answers Dracon.
“Because he would be destroyed in the process and no one would be around to take care of you. I am not as great as my legends and not beloved by all, Prince Dracon.” replies The Hermit.
“I do not understand,” observes Dracon.
“Let me start at the beginning,” offers The Hermit.